Toy gun.



PATENTED FEB. 10, 1903.

J. -B.- POPENHAGEN.

TOY GUN.

rum-non 21mm MAY 17, 1902.

'10 MODEL.

WITNESSES.

A TTOHN of the barrel.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH B. POPENHAGEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TOY GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 720,478, dated February 10, 1903.

I Application filed May 17, 1902. Serial No. 107,786. (No model.)

To atZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that LJosnr B. POPENHAGEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented-certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Guns, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved toy gun which is simple and durable in construction, not liable to get easily out of order, and arranged to propel beans and other similar projectiles with great force and accuracy.

The invention consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 4: is an enlarged transverse section of the same on the line 4 4. of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a like view of the same on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a similar View of the same on the line 6 6 of Fig. '3.

A barrel A is open at both ends and is formed on top with a longitudinally-extending slot A, terminating a short distance from the rear end of the barrel and terminating at its front end adjacent to a collar B, secured to the barrel A a distance from the front end On the under side of the barrel A, at the front end thereof, is arranged a longitudinally-extending handle O, adapted to be taken hold of by the user of the gun. On the slotted portion of the barrel A is mounted to slide a sleeve D, supporting a piston E within the barrel A, the said piston being preferably formed of two halfdisk parts (see Fig. 6) having neck portions E, extending through the slot A, the said neck portions terminatingin bands E soldered or otherwise secured to the peripheral portion of the sleeve D, as plainly indicated in the drawings. The forward edges of the bands E abut against an upturned flange E, formed on the front end of the sleeve,'so as to securely hold the bands in position on the sleeve.

The'piston being formed as described above is very light, and yet by reason of the strengthening-rib formed on the back thereof is very strong' This lightness of the piston gives a double advantage in a toy gun. First, its inertia will not perceptibly afiect the sudden action of the rubber strips, and, secondly, its momentum when it suddenly stops at the front end of the slot will not im-.

pose undue strainupon any of the parts.

The sleeveD is provided on opposite sides with portions of ofisets or 'saddles F F, on which the rear ends of elastic strips G are secured-to the saddles by a clip H in the shape of a piece of wire extending around the sleeve and between the saddles, as plainly indicated in thedrawiugs. The forward ends of the elastic strips Gare secured to the sides of the barrel A at the front end thereof by a'wir'e clip I, held against rearward movement by abutting against the front end of the handles C.

Now in using the device the operator takes hold with one hand of the handle 0 and then takes hold of the sleeve D with the other hand and pulls the sleeve rearward until the end of the slot A is reached, so that the elastic strips D are extended, and as soon as the operator releases thesleeve the said strips G pull the sleeve forward and With it the piston E to force the projectile placed in the barrel out of the same at a front end thereof with considerable force and accuracy, especially as'the pull of the strips G is uniform on both sides of the sleeve D. The forward sliding movement of the sleeve ,D is limited by the stop-collar B.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the device is very simple'and durable in construction, not liable to get easily out of order, and in case an elastic strip should break it can be readily replaced by a new one-by opening theclips H I and then after insertion of the new strips again closing the clips to hold the strips in place, as described. By having the slot A on the top of the barrel it does not interfere with or retard the charge. When pulling the sleeve back for shooting purposes, the barrel is supported by the operator at claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A toy gun, comprising a barrel having a slotted portion, a sleeve mounted to slide on the said slotted portion, a flat piston within the barrel having a neck extending through the slot of the barrel to rigidly connect with the said sleeve, a strengthening-rib rigidly secured to the rear side of said piston and elastic strips connecting the sleeve with the front end of the barrel, as set forth.

2. A toy gun, coinprisinga barrel having a slotted portion, a handle at the front end, and a stop-collar at the forward end of the slot, a sleeve mounted to slide on the said slotted portion and adapted to abut against the said stop-collar, a piston within the barrel a strengthening-rib extending vertically across the rear side of the piston, rigidly secured thereto and projecting upwardly through the slot of the barrel to rigidly connect with the said sleeve on the outside thereof and having a neck extending through the slot to rigidly connect with the said sleeve, and elastic strips secured to the said sleeve and to the front end of the barrel, as set forth.

3. A toy gun, comprising a barrel provided at its front end with a handle and having a slotted portion, elastic strips, a clip for securing said elastic strips to the forward end of the barrel, a clip abutting against the said handle, a sleeve on the slotted portion of the barrel, retaining means on the said sleeve for securing the rear ends of the strips to the sleeve, and a piston carried by the said sleeve and extending Within the said barrel, the piston having a rigid connection with the sleeve through the slot in barrel, as set forth.

at. A toy gun, comprising a barrel having a slotted portion, a sleeve mounted to slide on the said slotted portion and provided on opposite sides with saddles, a piston carried by the said sleeve and extending within the barrel, the piston having a rigid connection with the sleeve through the slot in the barrel, elastic strips, and clips for securing the elastic strips to the front end of the barrel and to the said saddles, as set forth.

5. A toy gun including a barrel having a slot, a sleeve movable back and forth upon the slotted portion of said barrel, and a flat piston formed of two half-disk parts with right-angled flanges at their straight sides, said flanges extending diametrically across the piston and rigidly secured together to form a strengthening-rib therefor and having a portion projecting beyond the circumference of the piston at one side thereof and extending through the slot of the barrel, the projecting ends being bent from each other to form bands rigidly secured to the peripheries of said sleeve.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH l3. POPENHAGEN.

Witnesses:

FRANK J. LA BUY, JOSEPH KRISTAN. 

